Exercise protects brain health
Getting at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week is consistently recommended to improve fitness and protect against diseases like cardiovascular disease. Yet movement has even more advantages. She protects them Health of the brain.
What you may not know is that with every step you walk, every kilometer you pedal, or every lap you swim, you improve your cognitive fitness. When you move your body, your brain can work better, explains the neuropsychologist Dr. Aaron Bonner-Jackson in a current contribution der Cleveland Clinic (USA).
maintaining brain health
“We know that physical exercise, and aerobic exercise in particular, is very beneficial for maintaining your health brain health even in people at risk for developing dementia and Alzheimer’s.” says dr Bonner-Jackson.
“With regular exercise you can make a big difference in terms of that functionality of your body and consequently how your brain works.”
Lower risk of dementia
In a journal published inNeurologyIn the published study, 454 older adults underwent physical exams and cognitive tests annually for 20 years. They also agreed to donate their brains for research after their death. Participants received gadgets that tracked their movement and physical activity 24/7.
Those who moved more did better on memory and reasoning tests. And an increase in physical activity was with a 31% lower at risk of dementia connected, the researchers reported.
The association between physical activity and brain function remained consistent even after the study authors brain pathology of the participants had taken into account and examined whether they were suffering from dementia or not.
Combine exercise and the DASH diet
In another, also in “NeurologyIn the published study, 160 older people with mild cognitive impairment were asked to choose different options.
They could do aerobic exercise (three times a week for 45 minutes per session), eat a heart-healthy Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, aerobic exercise with the DASH diet combine or receive health education.
During the six-month study, those who followed only the DASH diet did not improve on assessments of executive function (which is responsible for tasks like planning, problem-solving, and multitasking). And the brain function the health education group worsened, according to the study.
Those who exercised showed improvements in thinking and memoryand those who combined exercise and the DASH diet improved even more, the researchers reported.
How exercise benefits your brain
Physical activity can benefit your brain in several ways:
- Promote cardiovascular health. “What good for that Herz is is good for the brain”says physiotherapist Dr. Christy Ross.
- Improvement of blood flow your brain.
- reduction of inflammation.
- reduction of stress hormone levels.
Sports can increase the thickness of your cerebral cortex and improve the integrity of your white matter (the nerve fibers that connect areas of the brain’s nerve cell-rich gray matter).
Exercise also promotes that neuroplasticitymeaning your brain’s ability to form new neural connections—in other words, your ability to learn throughout your life.
“One of the most important places where these changes are happening is the Hippocampusa very important area of the brain for memory”, explains Dr. Ross. “Brain studies have found that people who did the recommended amount of exercise experienced some improvement in their hippocampus, which helps improve learning and memory.”
It’s never too late to start
Focus on aerobes Training. These are activities like jogging, cycling, swimming or even dancing. Exercise that gets your heart rate up is what’s best for your brain.
For most people, the goal of physical activity should be to get 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity three days a week. If high-intensity training is not possible for health reasons, you can do 30 minutes five days a week moderate activity strive to achieve similar brain-boosting effects, says Dr. Horse.
When training with moderate intensity it is still possible to speak, but not to sing. With high-intensity exercise, you exert yourself so hard you can’t say more than a few words without pausing for breath, explains Dr. Horse.
She adds that a lifetime of regular exercise is best for optimal brain health, but it’s never too late to start. “Anyone of any age can benefit from bringing exercise into their lives.” Every bit of extra activity you can get can from advantage be.
In a publication in the journal “JAMAIn their study, researchers concluded that even in people who didn’t meet activity guidelines, every hour of low-intensity physical activity and taking 7,500 steps or more daily was associated with higher total brain volume. (ad)
Author and source information
This text corresponds to the requirements of medical specialist literature, medical guidelines and current studies and has been checked by medical professionals.
Sources:
- Cleveland Clinic: How Exercise Protects Your Brain’s Health, (Abruf: 28.09.2022), Cleveland Clinic
- James A. Mortimer, Yaakov Stern: Physical exercise and activity may be important in reducing dementia risk at any age; in: Neurology, (veröffentlicht: 16.01.2019), Neurology
- James A. Blumenthal, Patrick J. Smith, Stephanie Mabe, Alan Hinderliter, Pao-Hwa Lin, Lawrence Liao, Kathleen A. Welsh-Bohmer, Jeffrey N. Browndyke, William E. Kraus, P. Murali Doraiswamy, James R. Burke, Andrew Sherwood: Lifestyle and neurocognition in older adults with cognitive impairments A randomized trial; in: Neurology, (veröffentlicht: 19.12.2018), Neurology
- Lin Yang, PhD; Chao Cao, MPH; Elizabeth D. Kantor, MPH, PhD; et al.: Trends in Sedentary Behavior Among the US Population, 2001-2016; in: JAMA, (veröffentlicht: 18.03.2019), JAMA
Important NOTE:
This article contains general advice only and should not be used for self-diagnosis or treatment. He can not substitute a visit at the doctor.